Means of marking identification on pelts



Sept. 28, 1965 L. T. HEIN MEANS OF MARKING INDENTIFICATION ON PELTS Filed June 25, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Z. 00/5 7. HE/N.

Sept. 28, 1965 1.. 'r. HEIN MEANS OF MARKING INDENTIFICATION ON PELTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 25, 1962 INVENTOR. L 00 4 .7 /7E//\ WW United States Patent 3,208,374 MEANS OF MARKING IDENTIFICATION 0N PELTS Louis T. Hein, 3515 4-Mile Road, Racine, Wis. Filed June 25, 1962, Ser. No. 204,779 2 Claims. (Cl. 101-4) This invention relates to a means of marking pelts such as those from mink, and especially to a means of identifying the source of the skins.

The means presently employed to mark pelts is to attach an aluminum tag to thepelt by riveting and which tag carries the identification symbol issued to the farm by the proper authorities. There are several objections to the use of these tags: They can easily be removed by thieves, thus preventing identification of the pelts. These tags are often damaged in the process of treating the pelts and for that reason may be carelessly discarded by the Workman, thus destroying the identification.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to generally improve the method of marking valuable pelts such as those of mink and other small animals.

Another object is to provide a marking or identifying system for pelts that is permanent and which marking cannot be removed without defacing the skin.

Another object is to provide a means of marking pelts that does not weaken or tear the skin.

Another object is to provide a means of marking the leather side of pelts that is not visible from the fur side, and can therefore be applied at various places thereon.

Another object is to provide a means of applying an identification symbol that cannot be removed without causing damage to the pelt, thus discouraging theft.

Another object is to provide a means of applying an identification symbol to a pelt which means maintains the pelt taut during the marking process.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. It is, however, to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational side view of a marking punch embracing the invention and having portions broken away in order to show details.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the punch of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a portion of a pelt showing the marking as applied by the punch.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken at 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a section taken at 66 of FIG. 1 and FIG. 7 is a view taken at 77 of FIG. 1.

Refering again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the punch comprises a base plate 10 having holes 12 and 14 to permit securing the punch to a bench by screws. An upright bifurcated bracket 16 is riveted or otherwise secured to plate 10 such as by means of rivets 18 and 20. Rivet 18, however, forms part of a post 22, the purpose of which will be made clear in the description.

Bracket 16 comprises a pair of upright webs 24 and 26 and a base portion 28. A stiffening plate 30 is assembled with bracket 16 when rivets 18 and 20 are inserted so as to provide rigid support about the rivets.

Anvil 32 comprises a saddle 34 of sheet metal which is formed so as to provide a dovetail passageway. Anvil pad 36 is of yieldable material such as rubber. A satisfactory grade of material was found to be that showing 3,208,374 Patented Sept. 28, 1965 a Shore hardness index of about 60. Pad. 36 has a base portion that fits into the dovetail passageway of saddle 34 and is provided with an upper arcuate surface 38 which is curved or crowned as shown in FIG. 1 to assure support for the pelt while it is being marked, and to assure that the pelt is held tightly over the marking area. The arcuate surface 38 of anvil 32, when being compressed during the marking of the pelt, applies tension in the pelt in two directions as indicated by the arrows at 39, thus preventing wrinkling or creasing of the pelt.

Punch arm 40 is of a channel shape and of a width to fit closely but freely between webs 24 and 26 as shown in FIG. 6. Arm 40 is pivoted on a pin 42, the latter being riveted or otherwise secured in webs 24 and 26. A stop pin 44 is provided in webs 24 and 26 as shown, to serve as a stop for the upper limit of travel of arm 40.

A hand lever 46 is provided, of sufficient length to permit operating the punch manually with a minimum of effort. Lever 46 is of channel shape and fits closely but freely between webs 24 and 26. Lever 46 is pivoted on a pin 48, the latter being riveted or otherwise secured in webs 24 and 26. A fulcrum block 50 is provided between the webs of lever 46 and of the shape shown and which has a fulcrum face 52 that contacts the upper face of arm 40.

A coil spring 54 is provided having a free fit about post 22 and which rests at its lower end upon plate 30. The upper end of spring 54 urges arm 40 into engagement with stop pin 44 in the manner shown by dotted lines of FIG. 1.

A punch assembly 56 is positioned at the end of arm 40 over anvil pad 36. Arm 40 is provided with a slot 58 to permit convenient mounting of assembly 56 on the arm. Assembly 56 comprises a base plate 60 which fits against a face 62 in arm 40 which face 62 serves to position the assembly against displacement. A plate 60 has fitted therein a clamp screw 64 having a head 66 fitted flush with the lower surface 68 of plate 60. Screw 64 is flattened as at 70 so as to fit slot 58 for the purpose of preventing the screw from rotating when the assembly is being mounted. A wing nut 72 is threaded on screw 64 and serves to secure plate 60 in saddle 62 of arm 40.

A punch plate 74 is positioned to abut plate 60. Plate 74 carries a plurality of pointed punch-pins or needles 76, which are arranged to form the symbol or marking number which identifies the particular farm supplying the pelts. In this instance the number is 101. Pins or needles 76 are hardened and of a suitable diameter, are pressed into holes in plate 74 flush with the back of the latter. Pins 76 terminate outwardly from plate 74 in sharp points so as to penetrate the pelt easily. Oldstyle phonograph needles have been found to be suitable for this purpose.

A flat striper plate 78 is carried below plate 74 and spaced a suitable distance therefrom. Plate 78 has apertures 80 which are aligned axially with pins 76 to permit the pins to pass freely through plate 78 as shown in FIG. 5

A pair of guide posts 82 and 84 provide the means of aligning plates 60, 74 and 78. These posts comprise shanks 86 which are accurate sliding fits for apertures in plates 60 and 74. A pair of nuts 88 are threaded on shanks 86 to provide an adjustment and a stop to be described later. Posts 82 and 84 have a lower shank portion such as 90, and shown in FIGS. 4 and .5. Portions 90 are inserted in suitable holes in plate 78, and are riveted on the underside of the plate as shown. An enlarged portion 92 is provided on each of the posts 82 and 84 which portions abut the upper face of plate 7 8, and have an axial length substantially less than the space between plates 74 and 7S. Portions 92 are of an axial length to permit pins 76 to pass through apertures 80 and to permit them to penetrate the pelt a suitable distance as shown in FIG. 5, before the portions 92 abut the lower face of plate 74. Coil springs 94 and 96 freely surround enlarged portion 92 and are of a length to contact the surfaces of plates 74 and 78 and urge them apart. Nuts 88 are threaded on shanks 86 to a position permitting the points of pins 76 to be flush with the lower flat surface of plate 78 to prevent inadvertent tearing of the pelts when the latter are being placed on the anvil pad 36. After the above adjustment of nuts 88 has been made, shanks 86 are riveted slightly over nuts 88 to fix the adjustment.

It will be clear that coil spring 54 will normally urge arm 40 into engagement with stop pin 44 when there is no pressure on lever 46. Punch asembly 56 then permits the placing of a pelt P on the anvil pad 36, with the fur side of the pelt toward the curved surface 38 of the pad and with the leather side up. It is to be understood that the pelt has been properly processed and dried before it is marked. The pelt is positioned so that the marking will appear on the most undesirable portion, such as a leg or a portion that will be discarded when the garment is being made. However, this method of marking will not deface the pelt, so that the marking may be placed at random.

After the pelt has been placed upon the surface 38 of anvil pad 36 the operator depresses lever 46 as indicated by arrow 98. Stripper plate 78 will then contact pelt P, compressing surface 38 and established a firm contact of the entire surface of the stripper plate 78 with the pelt. While surface 38 is being compressed, the pelt P will be gently stretched in the directions of the arrows 39 by virtue of the compression of arcuate surface 38 of the anvil 36. Thus all folds or wrinkles will be removed from the pelt while the pins 76 are passing through the pelt. Continued pressure on lever 46 will compress coil springs 94 and 96 and move plates 60 and 74 downwardly on shanks 86 until plate 74 rests on the upper faces of enlarged portions 92. Pins 76 will then have penetrated pelt P and the upper surface 38 of the anvil pad 36. Lever 46 is then permitted to pivot upwardly thus permitting spring 54 to raise arm 40, and springs 94 and 96 ll will then force stripper plate 78 to strip pelt P from pins 76.

FIG. 3 shows the leather side of a pelt P which has been marked with the symbol by means of the present invention, the marking comprising merely small holes 98 arranged in the form of the number or symbol, and which marking is not visible from the fur-side of the pelt P because of the fur.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A means of marking pelts, comprising in combination a base, a resilient anvil thereon having a surface to support a pelt, a punch assembly opposed to said anvil and displaceable so as to mark said pelt, said punch assembly comprising a punch plate having punch pins extending therefrom and integral therewith, a stripper plate spaced from said punch plate and resiliently mounted relative thereto to resiliently engage said pelt, said stripper plate having apertures freely surrounding said pins to permit said pins to penetrate said pelt while said stripper plate engages said pelt, said surface of said anvil having an arcuate contour.

2. A means of marking pelts, as defined in claim 1, in which the upper surface of said anvil has a contour defined by a portion of a cylinder.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 211,619 1/79 Campbell 10126 X 460,257 9/91 Stewart 101-20 1,642,505 9/27 Nathan 10132 1,784,721 12/30 Bredenberg 101-4 1,841,256 1/32 Sanglier et a1. 10126 2,126,777 8/38 Holt 101-26 2,305,339 12/42 Deutscher 101-4 2,489,640 11/49 Heller 10132 FOREIGN PATENTS 742,720 1/33 France.

WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Examiner. 

1. A MEANS OF MARKING PELTS, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A BASE, A RESILIENT ANVIL THEREON HAVING A SURFACE TO SUPPORT A PLET, A PUNCH ASSEMBLY OPPOSED TO SAID ANVIL AND DISPLACEABLE SO AS TO MARK SAID PELT, SAID PUNCH ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PUNCH PLATE HAVING PUNCH PINS EXTENDING THEREFROM AND INTEGRAL THEREWITH, A STRIPPER PLATE SPACED FROM SAID PUNCH PLATEAND RESILIENTLY MOUNTED RELATIVE THERETO TO RESILIENTLY ENGAGE SAID PELT, SAID STRIPPER PLATE HAVING APERTURES FREELY SURROUNDING SAID PINS TO PERMIT SAID PINS TO PENETRATE SAID PELT WHILE SAID STRIPPER PLATE ENGAGES SAID PELT, SAID SURFACE OF SAID ANVIL HAVING AN ARCUATE CONTOUR. 